Portlander Raises $20,000 for Homeless via Internet Poker

Portlander Dusty "Leatherass" Schmidt became obsessed with internet poker after a heart attack four years ago left him bedridden for months. Overcome with medical bills, Schmidt bet his last $1,000 on a hand and won back not only enough money to cover his bills, but enough to make a good living, too. In the last three years, he says he has made over $1 million a year with online poker (and won an Aston Martin to boot). This December, he felt like launching his own trickle-down economics campaign and is donating all of his December winnings to Transitions Project, a local homeless nonprofit. With the $20,000 he has won so far, Schmidt plans to prepay six months of rent for three currently homeless families.

I caught up with Schmidt while he played a dozen tables of poker from his laptop in O'Bryant Square last weekend. This video was edited by highly intelligent and capable intern Dave Bow.